Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry-based measurements of phytoplankton photo-physiology in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Aug 2019 ...

• Main Authors: Tortell, Philippe, Sezginer, Yayla
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network 2021
• Subjects: Arctic Archipelago; Baffin Bay; Baffin; Canadian Arctic Archipelago; Lancaster Sound; Phytoplankton
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5884/13254; https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch?doi_id=13254

We employed Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry (FRRF) for high-resolution mapping of phytoplankton photo-physiology in Lancaster Sound and Barrow Strait regions of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. For exact details of sampling locations, see the Latitude and Longitude fields of this dataset. The sampling period took place onboard the CCGS Amundsen from Aug 2-14, 2019. Continuous ship-board measurements of Chlorophyll a (Chla) fluorescence transients were made using a Soliense LIFT FRRF with a 12 minute interval between sampling events using a single-turnover flash protocol. Within each sampling event, 40 Chla fluorescence transients were measured under low light (5 μmol photons per m-2 s-1), and 40 under high light (150 μmol photons per m-2 s-1) on an isolated sample from the ship’s seawater line. Each fluorescence transient has a 1s interval. Between sampling events, a pump custom fit to the FRRF flushed the sampling cuvette and was synchronized to stop pumping 10 minutes prior to the next measurement ... : This dataset was collected for high spatiotemporal analysis of phytoplankton photophysiological characteristics, to elucidate fine-scale variability in phytoplankton photosynthetic capacities as they relate to hydrographic conditions, nutrient abundances, and light influences. Such oceanographic conditions are highly dynamic and rapidly evolving in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago where sampling took place. Therefore documenting environmental influences on Arctic phytoplankton photophysiology requires ocean observing methods capable of high resolution measurements. For this reason, we deployed Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry to rapidly and simultaneously measure phytoplankton light harvesting and light utilization efficiencies. We were thus able to produce a map of phytoplankton photo-physiology along the cruise track through Baffin Bay and Lancaster Sound. Our high resolution measurements enabled us to relate spatial variability in photophysiology to localized regions of enhanced nutrient abundances due to ...